


A Melody's Impulse

by xladysaya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 09:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7972345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xladysaya/pseuds/xladysaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone had a tune or a melody, one that usually appeared in high school and stuck with them for life. It would start to play in times of stress, sadness, anxiety, anger, whenever it was needed.</p><p>A soulmate song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Melody's Impulse

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I wanted to write at least one fic for this ship before season two so this is my first, overly fluffy contribution to the voltron fandom lmao, I hope you all enjoy!

Strings, flutes, a harmony of instruments he couldn't even begin to distinguish, all working together to play one strong, fluid piece.

It was lovely how the notes blended together, joined by the winds at different volumes and pitches.

It transported him, and he couldn't fight it.

He was on a bed, and that bed was in a home just inches away from the coast, the night was foggy and crisp, the sea breeze drifting in through the curtains as he laid there, wrapped in sheets as the waves crashed so softly.

A fantasy so luxurious, he wondered how his mind had even conjured it.

He was bathed in the smell of lavender and sand, of salt water.

The tune was elegant.

It started out in a whirlwind of notes, all unyielding in tempo, suspenseful...but not foreboding. As if something great was about to happen, picking up before it evened out to gentle, enigmatic sounds as more instruments joined the mix.

He didn't know what any of them were called, could only pick out the violins and random brass instruments, that was how unaccustomed he was to the genre.

Keith groaned as he rolled over in bed.

The clock read six in the morning, which meant he had to get up soon and go to work.

It was going to be a busy day at work, he knew it. There were a lot of appointments, and that didn't account for the usual walk-ins. He was stressed, and as expected, that meant the song wouldn't relent.

It was like that for everyone.

Everyone had a tune or a melody, one that usually appeared in high school and stuck with them for life. It would start to play in times of stress, sadness, anxiety, anger, whenever it was needed.

A soulmate song.

It was music which was meant to embody both people in the bond, connect them, and bring them together.

Keith's song happened to be classical. A brilliant, immersive classical tune which carried him away...

The only issue was....Keith hated classical music.

"Ugh," he yelled out into the empty space of his apartment. "Shut upppp."

Yup, that was pretty much it.

_Damn...this better not go on all day._

It wasn't like the song was the issue...the song was beautiful or...whatever. But, it was nothing like him!

He'd never liked classical music, classical rock? Sure. Oldies? Okay. Hell, he could even occasionally get into electronic stuff.

But classical? Yawn.

It always seemed so stuffy, so stuck up, and flat out  _boring._

When he was around fifteen, he'd heard it for the first time, his tune, walking home in silence through a secluded suburban neighborhood.

What was supposed to be a happy, relieving moment for any teen, only made him severely disappointed.

How was _this_ his soulmate song?

It wasn't like him at all!

Keith rolled over sloppily, taking the sheets along with him as he rolled off the bed with a huff.

The memory still pissed him off, even years later as an adult.

More than anything, it made him dread meeting his soulmate.

Maybe they were overbearing, so much so that not even a stanza of Keith's persona made it into the song. They were probably dull too, or at least, Keith couldn't imagine them being much fun.

Once, he had considered paying for one of those expensive services, the kind which reproduced someone's soulmate song for them as best they could, then used it to locate someone with a match.

But he'd never gotten around to it.

For one, he wasn't rolling in money, and two...he didn't know if he  _wanted_ to meet his soulmate. It was lame, he almost wished he could have a do over...

As if to cut off his impossible train of thought, his alarm clock finally rang, the obnoxious ding drowning out the heavenly notes in his head.

_Yeah, yeah. I'm going._

Five appointments, three engine repairs, one car wash.

_Let's get this over with._

\--

It wasn't even noon yet, and he was coated in oil and grime.

It really wasn't his day.

The first engine repair had gone off without a hitch, but the second...well, it had been an old car.

Old as in, it shouldn't even be allowed on the damn street, old.

"Fuck," he muttered, removing his stained jacket and gloves as the relic  _finally_ pulled out of the garage. Good riddance.

Keith sighed, and his manager threw him a displeased glare as he counted inventory.

_Right, I fucked up._

He'd had to call his third engine repair to tell them he was running behind, and the customer hadn't exactly been reasonable, canceling the appointment altogether out of anger.

Not good for his track record...

The only good thing that had happened that day, was thankfully, his fifth appointment had canceled due to personal conflicts, so now all he had left was a simple car wash job.

There were bound to be walk-ins after, but for now, he was relieved.

Especially when he saw the car he was supposed to clean.

_Now that's a car!_

The silver Mercedes gleamed as it cruised into the spot beside him, and Keith looked down to his stained, rough hands. He wasn't worthy to touch such a car.

He was somewhat surprised. It wasn't like he worked in a poor neighborhood, but it was middle class enough where seeing cars like this wasn't the norm.

But fuck, he wished it was...

The car looked taken care of, washed often, with the works too. Tire shine, expensive soaps, Keith could tell even before the person stepped out that they were either rich, or they loved this car more than their own livelihood.

Keith looked down at his appearance. His shirt was stained, his pants were torn, and his long hair was matted against his neck with sweat, some fly away hairs sticking up from the humidity outside.

He probably didn't smell the best either...

Now he really didn't feel worthy to work on such a luxurious car.

It got even worse when the car's occupant stepped out.

_Shit, I quit._

The man was a bit older than him, but still young, and...

Keith was stunned, and he stepped back almost unconsciously. He cursed his own embarrassment.

He was a mechanic, who cared if he was dirty?

It was just that...the guy looked important.

_Yeah, that's it._

They guy was tall, muscular too, Keith could tell; it was obvious through the tight, black shirt.

_Did this guy not get the memo that it's hot today? Hell..._

Keith's brow furrowed in confusion. The guy was dressed in old, paint splattered pants, as if he was a construction worker or something, not someone driving a Benz. He looked down to earth, almost humble, but commanding. He soaked up the attention in the area, all with a calm smile and a stumble as he exited the car.

Looking around, the man seemed to be searching for a service man.

_Shit, that's me._

And then he found him. The white tuft of hair on his head fell just before his eyes, bringing out the pale scar across his face and capturing Keith's attention instantly as the smoky gaze met his.

There was a beat of silence between them. Keith didn't realize he'd been holding his breath.

"Oh hey!" The man waved, perhaps too friendly for the car he was in, and he crossed the short distance to Keith in quick strides. "I'm Shiro, I called earlier for a wash."

 _Shiro_.

"O-oh! Yeah! You can wait inside if you want," Keith said, smiling sheepishly as he was the focus of the kind gaze. "It's gonna be a good thirty minutes."

"Ah, it's fine!" Shiro laughed, scratching the back of his head nervously. Keith tried not to let a flush creep onto his face. "This is a family member's car, so I'd rather not take my eyes off it if you know what I mean..."

_Oh._

Maybe the family member was the wealthy one then?

"Oh yeah, that's cool!" Keith said, instantly relaxing. The guy probably was just down to earth..."I'll start with the interior first. You can fill out some papers while I do yeah?"

"No problem." Shiro walked over to the nearby work table while Keith got him the forms, hands in his pockets as he waited. Keith watched him out of the corner of his eye. The guy was...cute, and pretty easy going it seemed, but...

Shiro was tapping his foot against the pavement, eyes scanning the area. He would occasionally look down at his watch too.

"Stressed?" Keith nearly stuttered, the question was meant to stay in his head...

_Shit!_

If he offended another customer today he was definitely getting a lecture...

"U-uh, I mean—"

But Shiro just laughed nervously, staring at his watch again. "A bit..."

_Hm?_

"Truthfully, I was supposed to have the car washed yesterday, but I got caught up in my work, and I didn't have time," Shiro explained, leaning against the bench as he took a pen and clipboard from Keith's hands. "Now I have to get it back before three, or...well, let's just say I don't have the time to be lectured."

Keith couldn't help but laugh too, grabbing his vacuum and other tools as he approached the car. "I completely get you on that."

The inside of the car was as he expected, spotless. The black leather was expertly crafted, and he could tell it was the fully upgraded model, the main display being fancy, including all the perks. "Where do you work?"

Shiro answered easily as Keith removed the car mats for cleaning. "Ah, I'm a student, but my family does pretty well for themselves. I have a car just like this, though I'll admit, I was against the flashiness. It's a good car though!"

_Damn right..._

Huh, so he was a rich kid. Still, Shiro was undeniably likable, and Keith sort of...respected that he wasn't a bragger.

_Guess I won't be lazy then._

Keith leaned in further into the car, getting the vacuum ready.

The dash was still partly lit up, as customers usually left the car on for the service men to drive and maneuver as necessary on busy days. The audio menu revealed that classical music had been playing.

_Ick._

Suddenly Keith was reminded of his annoying situation, and he let out a groan despite himself.

It wasn't unheard.

"Something wrong?" Shiro's voice was all concern and worry, like he was terrified something was wrong with the car, and Keith almost snickered at the edge of panic laced in the tone.

"Nah, I just... _hate_ classical music," Keith called back over his shoulder. "It's not my speed."

It was his opinion, and it wasn't like it should matter to Shiro, but the taller was cool, and Keith felt comfortable with talking to him.

"Wow, really?" Behind him, Keith could hear Shiro put down the clipboard, and Keith took advantage of the lull in conversation, turning on the vacuum to clean the passenger side of the car first.

There was hardly any dirt to capture, but Keith made sure to check everywhere. When he paused to shift further into the car, he stopped the machine, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, it's sorta boring."

"Ah, I think it's really soothing actually," Shiro replied, and something about his voice carried a hint of embarrassment. "Eh, I'm biased though...I've had classical music stuck in my head since I was sixteen. It doesn't go away."

Keith paused, immediately noting the meaning behind the words.

_So it's his soulmate song. Makes sense._

"That's sweet I guess," Keith said, trying his best to be polite even though the knowledge weirdly irked him. He assumed it was because the guy got a soulmate song that actually appealed to him...

"Your girl into classical music too then?" Keith went on, but something about the conversation put him slightly on edge.

It wasn't like discussing soulmate songs was seen as taboo or anything, it was just something really personal. Not something you talked about with your car washer.

Keith couldn't deny he was curious though, hearing what other people heard, even though it usually pissed him off, given his soulmate song had ended up being a huge let down.

As Shiro continued, Keith managed to clean the car mats and move on to the back seat. He was going slow, but hey, if the customer wanted to talk, it wasn't like he could do much about it.

_Yeah, that's the excuse I'll use..._

"Ah, I don't have my soulmate yet," Shiro said, pausing as Keith stepped out of the car to put the clean mats back in and remove the ones from the back. "I had the song recreated though, in case I ever need it. I once thought of uploading it to a site or something, to speed up the process, but I figure being patient is more worth it."

_That's a rare attitude._

Still, Keith couldn't help but return the genuine smile Shiro gave him as he began to vacuum the back.

Shiro seemed lucky, his voice fond as he talked about his melody some more, saying how it transported him, and how he liked classical music for that reason.

Keith actually understood, although begrudgingly, and between vacuuming, he couldn't help but be enraptured by Shiro's soft voice. It was obvious he was in love before even meeting the person.

_How dorky..._

Keith wasn't much for romance, or at least, he wasn't _yet_ , but he couldn't stop himself from being a bit envious.

"It's weird though," Shiro continued. "I feel like mine doesn't fit my personality at all. It's classical sure, but it starts off all wild and energetic, almost reckless before it gets calm. Sorta makes me think of the ocean."

Keith dropped the vacuum, and it made a whirring noise of protest as it sucked up air, no longer in contact with any fabric.

 _Hold on.._.

Keith shook his head. No. No way. There were billions of people on the planet, there were bound to be soulmate songs which were similar, and such a vague description wasn't telling at all.

But something in his stomach churned oddly, almost knowingly, and Keith swallowed, slowly turning off the vacuum and taking a seat on the plush leather.

It was obvious something had stunned him, and Shiro noticed right away, rushing to kneel before Keith.

_Damnit._

_"_ Hey! Is everything alright?"

Keith only fidgeted a bit, trying to find the best way to word things without coming off like a complete ass.

God, if Shiro ended up not being a match, he'd look like a total loser!

Not cool, not okay.

_But I have to know..._

Keith had never been good with leaving things be once revelations came along...he was just way too curious.

And in this case, maybe hopeful?

"Well..."

Shiro put a hand on his shoulder, and the touch had him reeling even more. Not helping the anxiety. "Hey should I get hel—"

"No! It's just..."

_Fuck, here it goes._

"My song, it starts off like that too, it's all random and...there's all these instruments I don't even know the names of! And then it goes calm, like I'm..."

_This sounds so dumb._

"Like I'm lying in bed, in a house by the ocean..."

God, the silence was gonna drive him ballistic. It was like he could hear every machine, every voice or small noise nearby. It felt as if he'd just aired out dirty laundry. Thank god he was the only one around, he didn't need shit from the other guys later. Especially not the new guy Lance..."But I'm only pointing out the similarity, haha! Like I get you bro..."

_Idiot. What was that?_

Unconvincing, that's what.

Shiro didn't laugh though, only stared, eyes getting wider by the second. He was close, and the hand on his shoulder tightened slightly. "Wait...but...you said you hate classical music, but your song is classical?"

_Yeah ha, weird._

"Believe me, I know," Keith said with an eye roll. "It's so lame, it doesn't fit me at all!"

He threw his hands up, moving to step out of the car with a huff. His frustration momentarily made him forget his predicament, and he ranted, finally able to spill about his song with  _someone._ "I mean, was it too much to ask for like, some electric guitar or something? Even if it was just a solo!" He smirked to himself, making the motions of playing an air guitar as he gathered up the soap nearby. Right, he had to move to the outside...

_But what kind of soap?_

"Hey, do you want the premium? It's ext—"

But when he turned to face the other man, he stopped, floored.

Shiro was still looking at him, stunned, like Keith was the missing piece to a puzzle or had just told him the best news of his life.

That gaze, it was meant to inspire, Keith could tell.

_Huh?_

Still, why the intensity? Keith didn't think he'd been  _that_ humiliating. And Shiro couldn't actually think...

"Um..."

There was only a beat of silence to prepare him.

"The main instrument at the beginning of the song," Shiro began, walking towards him. "It's violins right?"

_Fuck..._

Keith's breath caught, and he stared down at the forgotten soap, heart racing.

"Um, yeah."

It felt like the first wall had fallen, and as he looked at Shiro, Keith heard the song return to his head, playing louder this time, echoing in his head pleasantly. For once he didn't wish it away.

Shiro simply nodded, slowly, as if absorbing the information, and Keith felt his stomach flip.

_Something...something totally just happened..._

Keith was never one to hope for things like this, and soulmates weren't exactly on his list of priorities, but...

It felt right, being next to Shiro in that one moment.

_The hell?_

Nothing else was said.

The rest of the car was washed efficiently, in silence, with Keith stealing glances at Shiro from behind. Sometimes when he did, he'd see the other look away quickly, suddenly very interested in the floor.

By the time Keith was done and ringing Shiro up for the wash, the tension in the air was nearly unbearable.

"Hey," Shiro began, grinning anxiously when their hands touched as Keith handed him his receipt. Keith shuddered from the spark. "My copy of the song, it's at my place, maybe you could come over and...listen?"

Oh yeah, Keith remembered, Shiro had reproduced the tune. They could make sure...

Did he want to make sure?

Keith swallowed, ignoring the strange look his manager gave him from across the garage on account of his weird behavior. "Yeah, that'd be cool..."

"Cool." Shiro fumbled for a pen on the desk nearby, scribbling something onto the receipt in a hurry. "I really am behind now, sorry, but come by this address tomorrow afternoon okay?"

Shiro took his keys back from Keith, rushing to the car with an apologetic smile.

It was two-thirty, which meant he'd be running late if he didn't return the car by three.

Keith almost felt like apologizing for taking his time up, but he hardly felt guilty at that point.

Keith went to the driver's side as Shiro got in, waving goodbye as the car's engine revved to life.

The car was sparkling, but Keith didn't feel like looking at it anymore.

"And hey! I just realized," Shiro called out the window as he was driving off, and Keith unconsciously walked along with the car, hanging on every word. "I didn't get your name."

_Heh._

Keith chuckled, crossing his arms as he stopped at the end of the garage. "It's Keith."

Shiro's smile, Keith wondered if he'd ever seen anything so bright in his life. "Well Keith, I'll see you soon!"

And he couldn't help but let himself hope they'd be seeing each other a lot more than just once.

\--

The apartment in front of him was nice, but not exactly what he expected from a rich guy with a Mercedes. It was higher end, in a nice part of town, but the units looked small, each with a humble balcony which looked out over the city.

It made things somewhat less intimidating.

Somewhat.

Keith couldn't believe he was doing this. It was the day he might find his soulmate, and he was uncertain. Shiro was handsome, and seemed awesome along with it, but Keith didn't know much about him. What if he was a bore? What if it was a mistake and he was one of those unlucky few who never fell in love with their soulmate. It would just be another annoyance, another let down in his life.

Plus, he still didn't get how the song captured them both. It seemed all wrong, but Shiro had said it felt off for him too...so maybe if they talked more...

_One thing at a time Keith._

He rang the doorbell, and he didn't even have time to feel his stomach flip from anxiety, because almost as soon as he pressed the button, the door swung open to reveal Shiro in lounge wear, looking mildly flustered.

Keith didn't know whether to taunt him or keep staring.

Shiro was dressed lazily at a glance, but Keith could tell he wasn't sloppy. Shiro sported a white tank top and black sweats, but he looked clean and put together, the complete opposite of what Keith would probably look like in the same getup.

They were closer now than they had been at the shop, and Keith took in the clear, scarred face, meeting the dark eyes with his own.

"Hey," Shiro said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Keith smirked lightly at that, and it managed to diffuse some of the tension from before. "Hey yourself."

\--

Shiro's room was clean, not cluttered or full of possessions like Keith's was. Although, the room was definitely larger than his own...

The black and white paint was a strange touch, but it seemed to fit Shiro perfectly.

He'd prefer red...but still.

"The song is on my laptop," Shiro said, gesturing for Keith to take a seat at the empty chair at his desk. "I'll pull it up."

_Okay, so this is happening. It's cool. No worries._

Or a lot of worries, but whatever.

Keith was stiff and smiling too much...or frowning, fuck, he didn't even know. These situations were never good for him...

While Shiro busied himself with powering on his computer, Keith looked at the notes on his desk, along with the textbooks. They were...for space engineering.

"Hey, you're a—"

Shiro hummed in confusion, but he soon saw what Keith was looking at and grinned brightly, like a nerd about to go into a spiel about his passion. "Oh yeah, I'm in astronautical engineering. Weird, but I love it."

_Cool._

Keith had always been interested in stuff like that, and at one point in his life, he'd thought about being a pilot. Sadly though, life got in the way, and keeping the bills paid was more important for him at the moment.

One day though...

"I've always thought that stuff was awesome, you'll have to tell me about it later," Keith said, only slightly worrying about the implications of 'later.'

Shiro didn't seem to mind though. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Keith couldn't stop himself from grinning enthusiastically. Finally, someone who actually liked talking about that stuff!

It was almost too good to be—

_Oh. Shit._

Keith wanted to slap himself. Things were going this well, and he already thought Shiro was so interesting...but they didn't even know if they were a match yet.

Well, it wasn't like it mattered exactly...they could still be friends and talk even if they weren't soulmates.

Something felt off about that thought too though, almost disappointing. Not like Keith would ever admit that, he wasn't some sap who needed his soulmate anyways.

It didn't stop his stomach from flipping again as the desktop on the computer came up, and Shiro shot him a nervous glance. "Well, let's listen then..."

Keith hummed in agreement, watching as the audio was pulled up, and Shiro's hands moved the cursor to the play button...

_Here goes nothing._

"Wait," Shiro said, pausing just before hitting start. Keith eyed him in concern, had they missed something? But no, Shiro only smiled at him again, like Keith was the center of everything. "If it's not you, if we're not...a match I mean, I wish you luck finding them."

Shiro's voice was so sincere, mature, but Keith could swear he could still sense the disappointment there.

_Do you want it to be me?_

Keith fought the urge to ask.

It didn't matter, this was just a test. It was fine, no use staying stuck on something if it wasn't meant to be...

"You too."

Shiro nodded, and then he hit play.

The song didn't come in quickly, and they were forced to sit through a few seconds of anxious silence before the notes finally began to spill out into the room.

But when they did...fuck.

The notes bounced in the air lively, the violins being joined by a barrage of wind instruments.

The hint of flutes...the brass coming in...

This was it.

It was it,  _exactly._

It hit him all at once.

Keith froze, his hands clenching on the sides of the desk as his vision blurred, and he was somewhere else.

The smell of sea water and sand...

_It's him._

Shiro...he was watching Keith's reaction nearby, tense and awkward as he fiddled with the string of his sweats.

"It's you..."

Shiro seemed to stumble a bit from the sudden admission, and it was the first time Keith had seen him comically distraught.

He would've laughed, if it wasn't for his racing pulse. "This is the song."

_Our dumb, weird classical song._

Keith rolled his eyes, of course.

Shiro seemed to be frozen when he stood, eyes shining as Keith slowly stood to face him.

They were inches apart.

"I guess it's me that makes the song weird then huh? In the beginning that is..."

Shiro shook his head, blinking slowly as he processed the words.

Then it was as if for the first time, Shiro was really taking in his face, looking Keith over like he was art or some shit in a museum.

Keith wasn't sure if he minded or not.

Shiro's face slowly broke into a glowing smile, and he walked forward at the same time Keith took another step. It was like magnetism, something was pulling them closer. It felt natural though, like it had been a long time coming.

He could hear the melody in his ears still, but he knew it was no longer coming from the computer. It was too loud, too immersive, too awesome to be a recording.

_How lame._

But Keith returned Shiro's smile still.

"Guess I found you."

The breath on his face was hot and minty, and Keith saw no point in resisting, feeling the ghost of the other's lips so close to his own.

"Yeah."

Words were useless, and as the song in his head began to even out into gentleness, they both leaned in.

The lips on his were soft and careful, just like Shiro's voice, his behavior, yet it was still all consuming, confident, and Keith pushed back roughly, craving more.

Shiro indulged him, bringing a large hand up to cup Keith's face, taming his impulsiveness with his calm, bold touch.

The actions came so naturally, and flowed like music between them, and Keith thought, maybe, just maybe, the melody in his head did make some sense after all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate comments, and thanks for your support! Thanks to EmeraldWaves for beta reading! ilu!  
> Tumblr: its-love-u-asshole


End file.
